


To Feel at Home

by aMantaRay



Category: Percy Jackson and the Olympians - Rick Riordan, The Heroes of Olympus - Rick Riordan, The Trials of Apollo - Rick Riordan
Genre: AHS swim team - Freeform, Demigods, F/M, Father-Son Relationship, Fluff, Fluff and Humor, High School, Humor, swim!percy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-28
Updated: 2021-02-28
Packaged: 2021-03-19 06:13:31
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,753
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29746185
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/aMantaRay/pseuds/aMantaRay
Summary: There were a few stipulations, of course. Come up to make it look like he was breathing every once in a while, maybe appear a little wet in the water, and maybe, just maybe, let the other kids win every once in a while.He smiled slightly at the thought, stepping out of the locker room, parka draped comfortably over his shoulders, arms not through the sleeves. Nah, today he’d win. It was the final meet before nationals and he wanted to compete.After the war, Percy finally has a chance to feel a little bit normal.
Relationships: Annabeth Chase/Percy Jackson, Paul Blofis/Sally Jackson, Percy Jackson & Poseidon
Comments: 8
Kudos: 170





	To Feel at Home

**Author's Note:**

> Oh man, I'm loving the Percy swim team fics I keep finding, so I had to write my own. (Officially in the middle of The Burning Maze).
> 
> Enjoy :)

Percy loved the water. It was the one place he could think, the one place he felt at full strength, the place he felt most at home. 

So, when he had the opportunity to join the AHS swim team, he took it. There were a few stipulations, of course. Come up to make it look like he was breathing every once in a while, maybe appear a little wet in the water, and maybe, just maybe, let the other kids win every once in a while. 

He smiled slightly at the thought, stepping out of the locker room, parka draped comfortably over his shoulders, arms not through the sleeves. Nah, today he’d win. It was the final meet before nationals and he _wanted_ to compete. Percy glanced toward the opposing school, offering a friendly smile to the opposing team’s swim captain. LHS was their sister school, both co-ed, both private schools, and both insanely competitive. 

AHS tended to win those competitions, thanks to Percy, which obviously didn’t sit well with Nathaniel and his team. He scowled at the son of Poseidon. 

Percy chuckled, turning back to his teammates in too good of a mood to care. His mom and Paul were in the audience along with Annabeth. It’d been a few weeks since he’d been able to see his girlfriend and he missed her terribly. “Nathaniel’s in a good mood today.”

Annabeth… he glanced at the clock, figuring he had about five minutes before he and the others had to warm up. 

“Isn’t he always?” Leon grinned, taking the seat beside him and looking across the pool towards the growing audience. “You see her? Over there?” 

Percy glanced over at him as he nodded his head in the direction of a blonde girl in the stands sitting beside his mom and Paul. He smiled slightly. “Yeah? What about her?” He leaned forward against his thighs, fixing the parka over his shoulders. 

Leon shrugged. “She looks like a blonde goddess. I bet you I can get her to kiss me.”

He couldn’t help but snort at the thought. “She’ll punch you first.” So, not only had he not told his teammates his girlfriend was coming, he hadn’t told them that he _had_ a girlfriend in the first place. 

“No way. Look. She looks super smart. She wouldn’t hurt a fly.” Sandy blond and blue eyed, Leon knew he was handsome, and Percy didn’t necessarily disagree.

Percy turned fully to look at Leon, disbelief clearly in his eyes. “You think she’s harmless?” Annabeth looked anything but harmless. She looked like she’d been through Tartarus and back and had seen years of combat. Because she had. They both had. 

The daughter of Athena held herself with confidence, a fierce but intelligent look in her stormy gray eyes. She was well toned, covered in pale scars — like his own back and chest and arms — and had her curly hair pulled back in a ponytail, clay beads on their cord around her neck. She was sketching, most likely rough building designs, to pass the time until the meet began. 

Another glance at the clock. They still had a bit of time before warmups… “Alright. Let’s you and me go over there, yeah? See which one of us she wants to kiss.” Percy stood, a slight smile on his lips. “Loser buys lunch next week.” He started around the side of the pool, not waiting for Leon to make up his mind. 

“Perce. Percy, wait. You aren’t seriously... _you?_ Who _are_ you, Percy Jackson?” Leon chuckled, giving him a small shove as he caught up to him. “I would’ve never thought.”

Percy simply shrugged, giving Annabeth a wink in response to her confused expression when she saw him, his infamous troublemaker grin on his lips. He took a seat beside her. “Hey. I’m Percy. This is my buddy Leon.”

“Leon,” she repeated after a moment, looking between the two boys. “And, Percy, was it?” Alright. Seaweed Brain was being Seaweed Brain. She’d play along. “What can I do for you?” She closed her sketchbook, setting it on her other side. Sally and Paul had gotten up for a moment to help Sally get a bit of fresh air and a bit of water away from the chlorine. Being seven months pregnant and near chlorine didn’t exactly mix.

“That’s right.” The son of Poseidon tucked his hands into his parka’s pockets, fingers curling around his pen. He always moved it from his jeans to his parka during swim meets. After getting attacked during gym once, he knew better than to leave himself unarmed. “See, Leon here thought he could get you to kiss him. I said you’d probably punch him first.” He bounced his knee slightly, the grin never leaving his lips. 

“Then, he bet me lunch next week for who you’d rather kiss. Me or him,” Leon continued, a bit of a cocky grin on his lips. 

Annabeth kept her face clear, calmly looking between the two again. She simply shrugged. “Neither. I’m sorry, I have a boyfriend.” She nearly broke character at Percy’s puppy dog pout. “Don’t look at me like that, Percy. What would your girlfriend say if she knew you were trying to get other girls to kiss you? Especially ones you’ve just met?”

“Girlfriend? Percy doesn’t have a girlfriend.”

Percy crossed his arms over his chest almost stubbornly. “She wouldn’t say anything. She’d judo-flip me first and ask questions later.” The easy smile returned, and he leaned forward, pressing a firm kiss to her cheek, chuckling as she turned bright red, Leon looking just as surprised. “Leon, this is my girlfriend Annabeth. Annie, this really is my buddy Leon.”

“You _do_ have a girlfriend?” Leon’s jaw dropped, looking between the two. “You actually...what the _hell_ , Percy? Why didn’t you say anything before?” She was drop dead gorgeous, and he was only telling the team _now_?

Percy shrugged. Most of his life was kept secret for obvious reasons. He gave Annabeth’s hand a squeeze as she threaded their fingers together. “I promise I’ll introduce all the guys after the meet, okay?”

Leon still looked like he was bursting with questions, glancing over his shoulder at the coach’s whistle that signaled the beginning of their warm up. “Oh alright,” he relented, offering Annabeth a hand. “It’s really nice to meet you, Annabeth. I bet Percy’s really lucky.”

Annabeth shook his hand. “It’s nice to meet you too, Leon.” She smiled, looking up at Percy. “You hear that, Seaweed Brain? Leon says you’re lucky to have me.”

“He’s right. I’m very lucky,” Percy chuckled, slowly pushing himself up to stand. “I’ll be just a minute, man.” He waited until Leon started off back toward the rest of the team before he knelt in front of her. “I’m sorry. Leon had it coming.” He brought her hands to his lips, pressing a gentle kiss to her knuckles. 

“You are impossible, Percy Jackson. That poor boy.”

Percy only grinned wider. “I’ve got to go now, but I’m really glad you’re here.” 

She untangled one hand to brush his hair back away from his forehead. “Good luck, Seaweed Brain. I love you.”

“I love you too, Wise Girl.” He gave her hand a final squeeze before heading back toward his team, shedding the parka on his designated chair and reaching for his cap. He helped cap Leon, making sure his mini, sandy colored ponytail was tucked inside, ducking his head down to get help in return. 

“He’s so grown up now,” Sally whispered, taking her seat beside the demigod, watching Percy dive into the pool for the warmups. He kept a steady pace along with his teammates, the positions shifting slowly as the swimmers found their natural order. 

“You’re right. He’s done a very good job growing up. I am proud of him.”

Annabeth startled, looking at the man who’d taken a seat beside her. Bermuda shorts, a loud Hawaiian shirt, and a cap that said _Neptune’s Lucky Fishing Hat_. He smiled as he met her gaze, the corners of his eyes crinkling. His sea-green eyes...just like Percy’s. “Lord Poseidon,” she spoke in surprise, a hand reaching back to grip Sally’s wrist. “What are you doing here?”

The god of the sea only chuckled at the worried reaction. “I am enjoying my son’s swim meet.” He smiled kindly when he met Sally’s gaze. “I hope I am not intruding.”

The blush on Sally’s cheeks was bright, Paul’s disapproval practically radiating off of him in waves. “Of course not. He’ll be happy that you’re here,” she responded, looking away after a moment to find Percy again. The son of the sea god had pulled himself from the pool, dripping wet like the rest of his teammates. He pulled his cap off, his dark hair soaked, an easy smile on his lips.

There wasn’t an ounce of tiredness in his frame. He looked energized. Water did that to him. 

“So, how exactly do meets like this work?” Poseidon turned his attention toward his son, leaning forward against his thighs. “And why is he wet?”

Annabeth couldn’t help her quiet snort. “He has to will himself to be wet, otherwise the mortals will realize that he’s different,” she explained, keeping her voice down. “He has to at least pretend he’s coming up to breathe, and he can’t will the water to help him forward either. It looks too obvious.”

He frowned thoughtfully, his brow scrunching as Percy’s did when he concentrated on something. “I see. He still enjoys the water?”

“He loves it. I mean, look at him. He’s happy. They voted him into position as the team’s captain.” Percy had donned his parka again, letting it hang off of his shoulders as he took a seat beside his teammates. The first heat of the first event started - the 200 medley relay - and the team captain was yelling encouragement at his swimmers. His grin was wide, and his cheers were infectious. The teammates watching the race joined him, cheering on those in the water.

“He is a natural leader,” Poseidon’s voice was fond. “The events though?” He questioned, eyes still on his son. 

Annabeth nodded. “Right, well, they’re all aiming toward the fastest time. There’s events and then heats inside those events. The events are the type of race going on, and the heats are the different groups of swimmers actually swimming those events.” She hugged her sketchbook to her chest, glancing at the scoreboard. “Percy swims the 1000 yard freestyle and the 400 yard freestyle relay. He’s the last swimmer in that group.”

Poseidon nodded. “I see.”

She kept quiet for the next few events before speaking again. “The 1000 yard freestyle.” Annabeth motioned to the scoreboard and the event numbers, glancing at Percy out of the corner of her eye. She had watched him grow quiet as he worked on his focus through the last few events and heats, leaning against his thighs, clasping his hands, pointer fingers settled against his lips. “That’s the next event.”

Percy stood, letting his parka settle on the chair with his towel, ducking his head as Leon capped him again, patting him on the back. They exchanged a couple of words before Percy stepped up to the block. He bent down, grasping the edge, taking a few deep breaths, gaze trained only on the water. 

The buzzer went off and the swimmers dived. 

Annabeth swore Sally and Paul were very possibly the loudest members in the entire crowd, cheering for Percy, yelling his name, yelling ‘go!’ to him and his other teammates swimming the race. Her boyfriend glided effortlessly through the water, powerful muscles expanding and contracting as he pulled himself forward. He’d perfected the look of a mortal swimmer, body glistening and wet, head turning to the side every fourth stroke to pretend to come up for air. 

He stayed right with the top three swimmers, gradually inching his way forward until he gained a lead nearly an arm’s length in front of the closest swimmer by the time the 35th lap had come to pass. Five more. 

“He’s ahead. He’ll keep the lead. He _has_ to.” Sally gripped Paul’s arm, leaning forward in her seat. Her gaze stayed firmly on Percy’s lane, the cheering of his name growing louder as the second place swimmer started to push himself harder. 

The gap lessened.

“ _Go!_ Percy, keep going!” Annabeth had joined in with the crowd, almost forgetting about the god beside her - who seemed to stay unusually silent as he observed his son. The final flip turn shrunk the distance further as both Percy and the runner up kicked off the wall for the final lap. But, he was growing tired; his strokes slowing down. 

Percy, if possible, simply grew more invigorated by the water, pushing himself forward to gain back his lead, hand reaching out to touch the wall. The crowd roared, Annabeth, Sally and Paul jumping to their feet. 

Not only had he made first, he’d made first with his best time of the season. 

His grin widened as he pushed himself up and out of the pool, immediately surrounded by teammates as they patted him on the back, cheers going around. Percy had secured their spot in the nationals with his time. 

Percy turned his head, finding his family and giving a wave but… His eyes found his father. Poseidon wasn’t cheering like the rest of the crowd, no, but still...that easy smile was on his lips, his sea-green eyes were full of pride. Percy’s smile turned shy before his attention was grabbed by his teammates, the swim meet becoming the point of his focus once again. 

Still, in the back of his mind his _father_ was at his _swim meet???_

At the end of the meet, it didn’t take Percy too long to return from the locker room, waving to a few of his buddies as he slung his bag over his shoulder. He was once again wearing ripped jeans and his AHS Swim Team hoodie, Riptide returned from his parka pocket to his jean pocket. His eyes traveled over the families in the area still, looking for his own.

Sally spotted Percy first, taking Paul by the hand. “Annabeth, why don’t we give Percy a moment with his father. We can meet him outside.”

She nodded, ducking her head respectfully to Poseidon. “Be good to him. Please,” she murmured, not waiting for an answer as she followed Percy’s mother and stepfather from the building. 

“Father,” Percy greeted quietly, stepping up to the man, nimble fingers of his left hand wrapping around the strap of his bag. “What are you doing here?” His free hand found the back of his neck, rubbing at it.

Poseidon settled a hand on his shoulder, giving it a squeeze. “I heard there was a meet today, and I wanted to see you compete in person. From my understanding, attending events like this is something parents are supposed to do for their children to show their support. You did very well, I believe.”

Percy’s hand fell to his side, the blush creeping up the back of his neck towards the tips of his ears. Sure, mortal parents, generally, but not godly ones. “Dad, I...I don’t know what to say. I mean, you came all the way out here…” A smile found his lips; the same easygoing smile of the sea god. “Thank you.”

“I’m proud of you, my boy.” Poseidon pulled him close by the hand on his shoulder, fixing his arms around him in a proper hug. “I meant it when I said you were my favorite son.”

Percy froze, barely processing the hug before his arms automatically returned the gesture. He was _hugging_ the god of the sea, he was hugging his father. A soft whimper escaped the demigod, hands fisting in the god’s shirt. He shut his eyes tightly. Poseidon smelled like the breeze on the ocean. “Thank you,” he mumbled into his shoulder.

Poseidon held him a moment longer, pulling back with a soft sigh, a more wistful smile finding its way onto his lips. “I’ll see you again soon. Do not worry, Percy.”

He nodded, sliding one hand into his front pocket, other hand tousling his dark and damp hair. “I hope so.”

“Come on. Let’s get you back to your mother and the Athena spawn.”

“Dad!”

Poseidon simply laughed, a deep and warm sound, throwing an arm around his shoulders as he led him toward the doors.


End file.
